Macau Transportation

Getting There:

By Air:

The Macau International Airport ( +853 861 111/ http://www.macau-airport.com ) is located on Taipa Island and is 15 minutes away from the Macau Ferry Terminal. The Airport provides service to and from international destinations via airlines including:

AirAsia Airlines ( +603 8660 4343/http://www.airasia.com ) Air Macau ( http://www.airmacau.com.mo ) Air China ( http://www.airchina.com.cn ) China Eastern Airlines ( http://www.ce-air.com ) East Asia Airlines ( http://www.helihongkong.com ) Eva Airways ( http://www.evaair.com.tw ) JetAsia ( http://www.jetasia.com ) Shanghai Airlines ( http://www.shanghai-air.com ) Tiger Airways ( http://www.tigerairways.com ) Transasia Airways ( http://www.tna.com.tw ) Xiamen Airlines ( http://www.xiamenair.com.cn )

The Airport Bus (AP1) is located outside the terminal and stops at select major hotels throughout the city.

TCM ( +853 271 122 ) and Transmac ( +853 850 060 ) buses stop outside the arrival hall and provide service into the city.

Black ( +853 398 8800 ) and Yellow ( +853 519 519 ) taxis are readily available outside the Airport . A surcharge and fee for each piece of luggage is included.

Car rental companies at the Macau Airport include: Avis ( +853 336 789/ http://www.avis.com ) Happy Mokes ( +853 439 393 )

By Bus:

The Kee Kwan Motor Road Co ( +853 933 888 ) offers bus service between Macau and Guangzhou daily during peak hours.

By Water:

There are many sea transportation options when traveling between Hong Kong and Macau. The Macau Ferry Terminal is located in the Outer Harbour. Jetfoils and Catamarans are available from TurboJET ( +853 790 7039/ http://www.turbojet.com.hk ) and First Ferry ( +853 726 301/ http://www.nwff.com.hk ). Trips take about one hour from Hong Kong to Macau. TurboJET also offers service between Shenzhen and Macau.

Getting Around:

Macau is easily accessible via foot as the peninsula is only about 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. However, there are buses or minibuses that run throughout the peninsula stopping at major hotels and main attractions. Metered taxis also offer service around all of Macau and are reasonably priced. Pedicabs, tricycles with two seats, are a fun yet costly transport option. They can be located outside the ferry terminal and Lisboa Hotel.

Planning a Trip

Entry Requirements

Entry procedures into Macau are very simple. If you are American, Canadian, Australian, or New Zealander, you do not need a visa for Macau for stays of up to 30 days -- all you need is your passport. Residents of the United Kingdom and Ireland can stay up to 90 days without a visa.

Visitor Information

Online -- Visitor information is available on the Macau Government Tourist Office's website at www.macautourism.gov.mo.

Overseas -- The Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) maintains the following tourist offices:

• United States: 501 5th Ave., Ste. 1101, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 646/227-0690; fax 646/366-8170; macau@myriadmarketing.com), and 1334 Parkview, Ste. 300, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 (tel. 866/OK-MACAU [866/656-2228] or 310/545-3464; fax 310/545-4221; macau@myriadmarketing.com).
• Australia: Level 17, Town Hall House, 456 Kent St., Sydney NSW 2000 (tel. 02/9264-1488; fax 02/9267-7717; macau@worldtradetravel.com).
• New Zealand: Level 5, Ballantyne House, 101 Customs St. E., P.O. Box 3779, Auckland (tel. 09/308-5206; fax 09/308-5207; macau@aviationandtourism.co.nz).

In Hong Kong -- Your first stop for information about Macau should be as soon as you arrive in Hong Kong, at the Hong Kong International Airport. In the arrivals lobby, at counter A06, you'll find the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) information office (tel. 852/2769 7970), open daily from 9am to 10pm (closed for lunch 1-1:45pm and dinner 6-6:45pm). Stop here for a wealth of printed material about hotels and sightseeing in Macau. Another MGTO information bureau is located in Hong Kong's Macau Ferry Terminal, the departure pier for most jetfoils and other craft bound for Macau. You'll find it on the third-floor Departure Floor, in room 336 of the Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Rd., in Central (tel. 852/2857 2287). It's open daily from 9am to 1pm and 2:15 to 5:30pm. Be sure to pick up a map of Macau; the hefty Macau Guide Book, with useful information on attractions; Where, a quarterly with information on cultural activities, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment; and What's On, a monthly leaflet with information on festivals, exhibitions, and events.

In Macau -- Once in Macau, you'll find an MGTO at the Macau Ferry Terminal, located just outside Customs and open daily from 9am to 10pm; there is also an MGTO at Macau International Airport, open for all incoming flights. For complete information, however, your best bet is the main Macau Government Tourist Office, Largo do Senado (Senado Sq.), located in the center of town on the main plaza just across from the water fountain; it's open daily from 9am to 6pm. Other MGTO counters are located at Fisherman's Wharf, open daily from 10am to 1pm and 2 to 6pm; at Guia Fortress and Lighthouse, open daily from 9am to 1pm and 2:15 to 5:30pm; the Border Gate (also called Barrier Gate and serving visitors from mainland China), open daily from 9:15am to 1pm and 2:30 to 6pm; and the Taipa Ferry Terminal, open daily 9:30am to 1pm and 2:30 to 6:15pm. For information by telephone, call the Tourist Hotline at tel. 853/2833 3000 24 hours a day. Finally, a number of publications are distributed free to hotel rooms, restaurants, and tourist locales, including Macau Talk, a bi-monthly with restaurant reviews, a calendar of events, and other useful information. Look also for Destination Macau, a glossy magazine with information on shopping, dining, sightseeing, and nightlife.

Getting There

By Boat -- Located only 64km (40 miles) from Hong Kong across the mouth of the Pearl River, Macau is most easily accessible from Hong Kong by high-speed jetfoil, with most departures from the Macau Ferry Terminal, located just west of the Central District in the Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Rd., on Hong Kong Island. Situated above the Sheung Wan MTR station, the Shun Tak Centre houses booking offices for all forms of transportation to Macau, as well as the Macau Government Tourist Office (Room 336, on the same floor as boats departing for Macau). If you're staying in a hotel on the Kowloon side, the China Ferry Terminal on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, also provides limited service to Macau, as well as to other parts of China. The nearest MTR station for this terminal is Tsim Sha Tsui. If you plan to travel on a weekend or holiday, it's wise to buy round-trip tickets well in advance.

From the Macau Ferry Terminal on Hong Kong Island, the fastest, most convenient way to travel to Macau is via TurboJET (tel. 852/2859 3333 in Hong Kong, 853/790 7039 in Macau; www.turbojet.com.hk). Jetfoils depart every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, with the trip to Macau taking approximately 1 hour. One-way fares Monday through Friday are HK$236 (US$31/£15) for super class and HK$134 (US$17/£8.70) for economy class; fares on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays are HK$252 (US$32/£16) in super class and HK$146 (US$19/£9.50) in economy. Fares for night service (6:15pm-6am) are HK$267 (US$35/£17) and HK$168 (US$22/£11), respectively. Fares from Macau to Hong Kong are an additional HK$8 (US$1.05/52p), a reflection of a higher departure tax, included in the price of the ticket. Seniors 61 and older and children 11 and under receive a HK$15 (US$1.95/£1) discount. Super class provides wider, more comfortable seats, better views from an upper deck (though there isn't much to see), drinks, and a snack.

Tickets can be purchased at either the Macau Ferry Terminal on Hong Kong Island or the China Ferry Terminal in Kowloon, as well as at all China Travel Service branches in Hong Kong. You can also book by credit card by calling tel. 852/2921 6688 in Hong Kong or booking online. All tickets are for a specific time and cannot be changed. If, however, you've purchased your ticket in advance and then decide you'd like to leave at an earlier time, head for the special queue for standby passengers available at both Shun Tak Centre and in Macau. There is often a good chance that you can get a seat, except during peak periods.

If your destination is Taipa, Cotai, or Colôane, you can also travel from the Macau Ferry Terminal directly to Taipa via Cotai Waterjets (tel. 852/2359 9990 in Hong Kong, 853/2885 0595 in Macau; www.cotaijet.com.mo). Ferries depart every half-hour between 9am and 5pm. One-way fares Monday through Friday are HK$236 (US$31/£15) for super class and HK$134 (US$17/£8.70) for economy class; fares on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays are HK$252 (US$32/£16) and HK$146 (US$19/£9.50), respectively. Tickets can be purchased at the Macau Ferry Terminal, China Ferry Terminal, and Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel.

Finally, New World First Ferry (tel. 852/2131 8181 in Hong Kong; 853/2872 7676 in Macau; www.nwff.com.hk) operates ferry service from Tsim Sha Tsui's China Ferry Terminal, convenient if you're staying in a Kowloon hotel. Departures are approximately every 30 to 60 minutes from 7am to 9pm, with later departures weekends and holidays. Fares run HK$133 and HK$168 (US$17/£8.65 and US$22/£11) for ordinary class, with the higher fares charged weekends and holidays and for night departures, while deluxe class runs HK$238 and HK$268 (US$31/£15 and US$35/£17).

If you plan to spend only 1 or 2 nights in Macau, consider leaving most of your luggage at your Hong Kong hotel, at the Luggage Services Centre on the ground floor of Shun Tak Centre (Shop G02, near the taxi stand), or in computer-monitored lockers located at both the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Macau ferry terminals. Then travel to Macau with only a small, hand-carried bag. Otherwise, you could end up paying an extra charge. Passengers traveling on a TurboJET are officially allowed one piece of luggage, not to exceed 20 kilograms (44 lb.). Additional baggage must be checked, with charges ranging from HK$20 to HK$40 (US$2.60-US$5.20/£1.30-£2.60) depending upon weight, though in my experience authorities are somewhat lax about this and I've often traveled with two bags. In any case, baggage must be at the check-in counter, located just before Customs, 30 minutes before the jetfoil's departure. Obviously, your life will be easier if you leave heavy luggage in Hong Kong.

If you're arriving at Hong Kong International Airport and wish to travel directly to Macau, you can do so via TurboJET's Sea Express service (www.turbojetseaexpress.com.hk) without passing through Hong Kong Customs and immigration formalities (if you do pass through Customs, you will not be allowed to take the Sea Express). Upon exiting your arrival gate, look for the FERRY TRANSFER DESK signs, where you can purchase your Sea Express ticket and produce your baggage identification tag for baggage reclaim (your luggage will be retrieved from baggage claim by a TurboJET employee). You will then board a bus for a 7-minute shuttle to the SkyPier, take the TurboJET directly to Macau, and go through Customs there. Baggage is limited to 20 kilograms (44 lb.) in economy class and 30 kilograms (66 lb.) in super class, except for passengers from or to North America, who are allowed two pieces of baggage, with each piece not to exceed 32 kilograms (71 lb.). There are seven sailings daily (at 10:50am and 12:45, 2, 3:30, 5:25, 7:10 and 10pm; check-in is 1 hr. before sailings), with fares costing HK$180 (US$25/£12) for economy class and HK$280 (US$36/£18) for super class. Note that if you're returning from Macau to Hong Kong International Airport, you will pay HK$20 (US$2.60/£1.30) extra to account for Macau's departure tax. On the plus side, since your departure point is considered Macau rather than Hong Kong, you will be refunded the HK$120 (US$16/£7.75) you paid for the Hong Kong airport departure, which was included in the price of your plane ticket.

By Plane -- Macau's International Airport (tel. 853/2886 1111; www.macau-airport.gov.mo) opened in November 1995, heralding the birth of Air Macau, the territory's fledgling carrier, followed in 2006 by low-cost airline Viva Macau. The airport is located on reclaimed land on Taipa Island and is conveniently connected to the peninsula by a bridge and bus service. The airport serves flights from China, including Beijing, Guilin, and Shanghai, as well as from several other Asian cities, including Taipei, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Seoul, Tokyo, and Bangkok, and from Sydney. Contact your travel agent or the Macau Government Tourist Office for more information.

Arriving in Macau

Passengers traveling by boat arrive at the Macau Ferry Terminal, located on the main peninsula, or at the Taipa Ferry Terminal near the International Airport. After going through Customs (which can take 30 min. or more, depending on the crowds), stop by the Macau Government Tourist Office for a map and brochures, including the useful Macau Guide Book. In the arrivals hall of the Macau Ferry Terminal, there's also a counter for hotel reservations, open daily 10am to 2am, where you can book rooms free of charge after paying a deposit. Outside the terminal to the left are hotel shuttle buses. Most expensive and moderately priced hotels operate free shuttle services, including Holiday Inn, Mandarin Oriental, Lisboa, Pousada de São Tiago, Westin Resort Macau, MGM Grand, Wynn, Starworld, and Sintra. Otherwise, city bus nos. 3, 3A, and 10 travel from the terminal to Avenida Almeida Ribeiro, the main downtown street. The fare is MOP$2.50 (US30¢/15p).

From the airport, the airport bus, AP1, travels to the ferry terminal, Holiday Inn, Lisboa Hotel, and the Border Gate. The fare for this is MOP$3.30 (US45¢/21p). A taxi from the airport to the Lisboa costs approximately MOP$40 (US$5.20/£2.60). From the Taipa Ferry Terminal, a free shuttle operates to the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel.

Currency

Macau's currency is the pataca, composed of 100 avos. Coins come in 10, 20, and 50 avos and 1, 2, 5, and 10 patacas. Banknotes are issued for 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 patacas. Even though the pataca (ptc; also referred to as MOP$) is Macau's official currency, you can use your Hong Kong dollars everywhere, even on buses and for taxis (though you are likely to receive change in patacas). The pataca is pegged to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of MOP$103.20 to HK$100; however, on the street and in hotels and shops, the Macau pataca and Hong Kong dollar are treated as having equal value. I suppose, therefore, that you could save a minuscule amount by exchanging your money for patacas (US$1 equals MOP$8; £1 equals MOP$15.4), but I rarely have done so and don't consider it worth the hassle for short stays in Macau. You may wish to exchange a small amount -- say, HK$20 (US$2.55/£1.30), but keep in mind that the pataca is not accepted in Hong Kong. If you do exchange U.S. dollars or U.K. pounds (which you can do at banks, generally open weekdays from 9am to 5pm; at hotels; or at ATMs throughout the city), you'll receive approximately MOP$8 for each US$1, MOP$15 for each £1. There are also money exchange counters at seemingly every corner. The exchange rate is not as favorable as at banks, but they usually don't charge a commission.

In addition, most Macau hotels and their restaurants, as well as restaurants catering largely to tourists, list room rates and menu items in Hong Kong dollars. For the sake of simplicity, the hotel rates given later are quoted in HK$, but this could just as well read "patacas." Outside of hotels, restaurants are more likely to give prices in MOP$, but sometimes they use HK$, too. Attractions, however, always use patacas. To mirror the most common pricing practices in Macau, I use HK$ for hotels but patacas (MOP$) for restaurants and attractions listed later. ATMs are located at the ferry terminal and throughout the city and accept American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and cards operating on the Plus and Cirrus systems.

Getting Around

Because the peninsula is only 8.9 sq. km (about 3 1/2 sq. miles), you can walk to most of the major sights (be sure to get a free map from MGTO). If you get tired, you can always jump into one of the licensed metered taxis, all painted black and beige and quite inexpensive. To overcome the language barrier, MGTO has supplied most taxis with a destination guide listing most destinations in both English and Chinese. The charge is MOP$11 (US$1.45/70p) at flag fall for the first 1.5km (1 mile) and then MOP$1 (US15¢/6p) for each subsequent 180m (594 ft.). A taxi from the peninsula all the way to Hac Sa Beach on Colôane Island costs about MOP$85 (US$11/£5.50). Luggage costs MOP$3 (US40¢/20p) per piece, and there's a surcharge of MOP$5 (US65¢/35p) if you go all the way to Colôane, MOP$2 (US25¢/13p) if you travel between Taipa and Colôane. There is no surcharge, however, for the return journey to Macau. To order a taxi by phone, call tel. 853/2893 9939 or 853/2851 9519.

Public buses run daily from 7am to midnight, with fares costing MOP$2.50 (US30¢/15p) for travel within the Macau peninsula, MOP$3.30 (US45¢/21p) for travel to Taipa, and MOP$4 to MOP$5 (US50¢-US65¢/30p-35p) for travel to Colôane. Bus nos. 3, 3A, 10, and 10A travel from the ferry terminal past the Lisboa Hotel to the main street, Avenida Almeida Ribeiro, in the city center and then continue to the Inner Harbour. Buses going to Taipa and Colôane islands stop for passengers at the bus stop in front of the Hotel Lisboa, located on the mainland near the Macau-Taipa Bridge. Bus nos. 11, 22, 28A, 33, and 34, as well as the airport bus no. AP1, travel between Macau and Taipa; bus nos. 15, 21, 21A, 25, 26, and 26A connect Macau, Taipa, and Colôane. The MGTO has a free map with bus routes.

For my hotel recommendations, I provide a list of buses that travel only from the ferry terminal to each individual hotel, but for restaurants and attractions, I list all the buses from throughout the city that travel to each destination.

You can also hail a pedicab, a tricycle with seating for two passengers. Even as late as the early 1980s, this used to be one of the most common forms of transportation in Macau for the locals. But increased traffic and rising affluence have rendered pedicabs almost obsolete, and I suppose they will eventually vanish from the city scene much like the Hong Kong rickshaw. Today, pedicab drivers vie mostly for the tourist dollar, charging about MOP$150 (US$20/£10) for an hour of sightseeing, but keep in mind that there are many hilly sights you can't see by pedicab. The most popular route is along the Praia Grande Bay around the tip of the peninsula, and back via Rue do Almirante Sérgio. Be sure to settle on the fare, the route, and the length of the journey before climbing in. You'll find them parked outside the ferry terminal and Lisboa Hotel.

City Layout

Macau comprises a small peninsula and Taipa and Colôane, two former islands that are now merged due to a massive land reclamation called Cotai and are linked to the mainland by bridges. The peninsula -- referred to as Macau -- is where you'll find the city of Macau, as well as the main ferry terminal and most hotels, shops, and attractions. The ferry terminal is located on what is called the Outer Harbour, which faces Taipa and connects to the South China Sea. On the opposite side of the peninsula is the Inner Harbour, which faces China. Although I used to love the Outer Harbour for its dreamy view of boats plying the Pearl River waterway and the tree-shaded Avenida da República, which ran along the waterfront, land reclamation, including new highways, high-rises, the Macau Tower, mega casinos, hotels, and Fisherman's Wharf, has rendered the Outer Harbour a horror zone. I advise fleeing this side of the peninsula as hastily as possible for downtown and the more colorful Inner Harbour. Walking along the Inner Harbour from Avenida Almeida Ribeiro to the Maritime Museum, you will see an unchanged Macau, with decaying buildings, small family businesses, and, occasionally, fish laid out on sidewalks to dry. The side streets on either side of Almeida Ribeiro and running downhill from the ruins of St. Paul's are also goldmines for atmosphere. In the evening, however, you may want to return to the Outer Harbour, where Macau's nightlife district, called the Docks, spreads along the waterfront near the Statue of Kun Iam.

Near the middle of the peninsula is Guia Hill, the highest natural point of Macau. Because of its strategic location, a fort was constructed atop the hill in the 1630s, followed in 1865 by a lighthouse, the first of its kind on the China coast. Also on the grounds of Guia Fortress are a small chapel and a tourist information counter (open daily 9am-1pm and 2:15-5:30pm). A jogging path, complete with exercise stations, circles the top of the hill. Although there's not much to do on Guia Hill, it does provide a good overview of Macau. You can reach it by taking bus no. 2, 9, 9A, or 28C to Flora Garden and then boarding what must be the world's shortest ropeway to the top of the hill.

Connecting the two harbors is Macau's main road, Avenida Almeida Ribeiro (nicknamed San Ma Lo by locals), remarkably with only a few traffic lights despite nightmarish traffic. About halfway down its length is the attractive Senado Square (Largo do Senado), Macau's main plaza. Lined with colonial-style buildings painted in hues of yellows and pinks, it is paved in a wave pattern of colored mosaic tiles, which lead from the square through the neighborhood and to the ruins of St. Paul's Church crowning the crest of a hill. On the other side of the square is Leal Senado, Macau's most outstanding example of Portuguese colonial architecture. Radiating from Avenida Almeida Ribeiro in all directions is old Macau, a fascinating warren of narrow streets, street markets, open-fronted family shops, and a cacophony of sounds, sights, and smells.

Taipa, closest to the mainland and connected by three bridges, has witnessed a construction boom over the past decades, with the addition of high-rise apartments and Macau's airport. In its midst, now enveloped by surrounding development, is the picturesque Taipa Village with its many restaurants. Connected to Taipa by reclaimed land (called Cotai) is Colôane, largely undeveloped and the site of Macau's best beaches. Although Taipa and Colôane are still referred to as individual islands, in reality Cotai is so extensive (5.2 sq. km/more than 2 sq. miles) that the two are now one fused island. Cotai is being developed as a resort and entertainment destination, with the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel as the biggest player. Once completed, which is still several years down the road, Cotai will boast more than a half-dozen resorts, convention space, and a light rail that will whisk visitors to downtown Macau.